The great thing about a Bristol wedding is that it’s right on my doorstep. I can enjoy my journey looking at the sights rather than listen to the wretched SAT NAV, and of course, it means I’m home before witching hour!

I’ve lived close to the city of Bristol all my life and have many fond memories. Occasionally, as a special treat, my grandparents would take me to the ‘Holiday Inn’ for a meal. Can you believe – it was posh back then! My great uncle, Archie, would drive us there in his burgundy Rolls Royce, I felt like a princess! All was not good and fluffy though. I am still haunted by the sight of lobsters in the fish tank with their claws taped up, ready to be selected for someone’s supper and dropped into boiling water alive. I had nightmares about those poor creatures for months; probably why I became a vegetarian! On a lighter note, I did have a wonderful time playing in the elevators, which were quite a novelty back in the (late) 1970’s.

My poor grandfather was lonely after my grandmother died when I was 13, so my cousins and I used to walk on the Clifton Downs with him, often having heated debates about religion! We would eventually stop at our regular coffee shop on Whiteladies Road for a cup of tea, Danish pastry and a much-needed rest.

Moving into my teenage years, C&A was the place to be. It was one grade up from Primark and affordable for someone who spent their weekends cleaning out dog kennels for 90p per hour. I progressed on to get a job in a burger van at Eastfield Market. This salary increase meant that I migrated up the shopping ladder to Bony Moronie’s, a place where they sold the finest zebra hide winklepickers in the whole of the UK.

The shop lived in an area called ‘The Bear Pit’, an excellent place for a cool urban engagement shoot. But a word of warning: do not visit after dark. You may not live to tell the tale!

In my heyday, I chilled out on the Thekla nightclub boat, or was it the Lock Hill? I can’t remember much from back then, things are quite hazy! It was way back when everyone used to smoke anywhere – you could hardly see where you were most of the time.

Time has moved on, and I no longer partake in the Bristol nightclub scene, thankfully. It is now my eldest daughter who is living the Bristol dream. Nowadays my trips to Bristol include visits to coffee shops in Clifton and eating vegan lunches at Stokes Croft. You can also find me in the Levis store on Park Street, as they have an excellent line in long-legged jeans!

There are loads of decent venues that I’m yet to shoot at, check out my list below and if you’re getting married at any of the listed venues, just mention that you read ‘the Bristol page’ and I’ll give you a little discount if you book with me or a free Bristol Engagement shoot.